


nothing a cup of tea won't fix

by Mayarene Rose (Paradise_of_Mary_Jane), Paradise_of_Mary_Jane



Series: Whumptober 2019 [10]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2019-10-10
Packaged: 2020-11-25 21:28:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20918897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paradise_of_Mary_Jane/pseuds/Mayarene%20Rose, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paradise_of_Mary_Jane/pseuds/Paradise_of_Mary_Jane
Summary: Sirius turns up at James' doorstep with only his wand and the clothes on his back. James makes a lot of tea and tries to help.





	nothing a cup of tea won't fix

**Author's Note:**

> Day 10: Unconscious
> 
> So I bet you've seen the last of me HAHAHAHA
> 
> ((also I know I already have a similar fic like this, but honestly, it's been 3 years and I genuinely forgot it existed, so you're getting another one))

Sirius passed out sometime around midnight. It’s a welcome relief. 

He came to James’ house a mess, sopping wet from the rain, carrying nothing but his wand and the clothes on his back. James hadn’t been able to get anything out of him apart from he’d gotten kicked out. James didn’t really have anything to say to that. Sirius had looked two points past a breakdown and stepping into another one. James hadn’t known what to do.

He made tea, in the end.

It helped, he thinks. Or he hopes. It took three hours just to get Sirius to stop shaking. The tea had gotten cold by that point but it was easy enough to reheat. James was pretty sure his parents wouldn’t have minded him using magic for it. Sirius sipped at it and he didn’t really look any better, but some color’s returned to his cheeks, so it’s not all bad.

After that, Sirius passed out. Didn’t really speak much. Just said he couldn’t go back to London anymore and apologized a lot. That was the strangest part, really. Sirius never apologized, not if he could help it. Not even if he actually did do something wrong. And especially if he didn’t.

James has known Sirius since they were eleven and he could count on two hands the number of times he’s actually apologized sincerely. Except for tonight. Tonight, apologies seem to be the only thing Sirius is capable of saying, like something is compelling him to do it. It hurts to hear.

“How is he?” his mum asks, once Sirius was safely nestled in the guest bedroom. James had gone downstairs to get some more tea because it seems like the thing to do. His mum had been there and fixed it up for him. She’d looked stressed. There was genuine anger in her expression and James understands that. He’s pretty angry, too.

“I don’t know,” James says, running a hand through his hair. “He said his parents kicked him out.”

Not those specific words, but James had figured it out. He’s good at reading between the lines, where Sirius is concerned.

That doesn’t stop being what he’s saying from being utterly incomprehensible, though. James can’t imagine it. He knows Sirius’ parents don’t particularly _like _their eldest (the complete lack of letters during term and those cold eyes can’t possibly mean anything else) but to actually kick their own son out?

His mum doesn’t say anything for a while. Just stares off into the distance. She doesn’t look surprised, which is a surprise on its own. Actually, come to think about it, James seems to be the only one surprised about the whole disowning business. Sirius was broken up, his mum grim, his dad understanding, but none of them particularly shocked.

That hurts to think about, too. Was James just that oblivious or was the world really more terrible than he imagined.

Finally, his mum says, “You’ve told him he’s welcome to stay here for as long as he needs, of course?” 

“He knows that already,” James says. Sirius practically lived with them in the summer and winter anyway. He’s always just made himself at home. 

“But have you told him?” his mum presses.

“Yeah,” James says, though he’s not actually sure. He must have. Things have been a blur since Sirius got to Godric’s Hollow but he must have. And even if he hadn’t, well. It’s one of those unsaid things between them. They have a lot of those.

Sirius must know already.

“Good,” his mum says with a sharp nod. “Merlin knows that boy needs a good home. I’m heading to London in the morning to speak with his parents.”

James’ blood runs cold. “Why? You’re not going to convince them to… take them back are you?”

Sirius came to him with a kind of numbness, trembling, crying, and James doesn’t think he’s seen Sirius actually cry before. He might have been terrified if he hadn’t looked so utterly spent. It hurt him, what his parents did. James can’t bear the thought of taking him back to people who would hurt him like that.

“I think we’re a bit past that point,” she says. “But he’ll need his things. And I need to make sure those people won’t give him any more trouble.”

There’s a long pause. The two of them are pretty quiet. Sirius is a light sleeper. The moment James raises his voice, he’s definitely gonna wake up, and that’s not a good thing after James went to all that trouble to get him to sleep.

Still, part of him wants to scream.

“Oh,” he says, struggling to keep his voice level. “Can they still do that?”

That doesn’t sound very fair. 

It’s not like it was Sirius’ fault he was at odds with his family. Sure, the guy was a prick most days, but so is James, and Remus, and Peter. So is every other person their age. That’s what being sixteen is. James hadn’t heard of anyone else’s parents kicking them out.

And it’s not like Sirius is the worst of the lot. He can be kind when he lets himself be, and he fights for the people he loves with a ferocity that’s pretty much unparalleled. James can’t imagine anyone wanting to throw that away.

And the idea they might still give him grief _after _they’ve cut ties with him. It makes James’ blood boil. He doesn’t think he’s hated anyone more than he’s hated Sirius’ parents.

His mum waves him away. “Don’t dwell on it,” she says. “I’ll take care of it, and if not me then your dad. They’re not getting anywhere near Sirius again.”

James sags against his chair in relief.

\--

As it turns out, Sirius _didn’t _know he was completely welcome in James’ home. When he woke up, it took more than half an hour just to stop him from bolting.

“Just stay here for Merlin’s sake!” James says by the end of it. “It’s not like you have anywhere else to go!”

And wasn’t that just the exact wrong thing to say? Sirius looks stricken for a moment before his expression closes off entirely. James would do anything to go back in time and hit himself over the head for being such a prat.

Sirius tries to push past him.

“I need to go,” he says.

“Sirius, come on,” James says. “I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant. Just stay here, alright? You’re exhausted and my mum might literally kill me if I let you out of my sight. You know you’re her favorite.” He catches his friend’s arm, stopping him. Miraculously, Sirius lets him. James guides him back to the bed and sits him down.

“Don’t want to impose,” Sirius mumbles.

“You’re not,” James says. “I mean, you practically live here anyway.” It’s true. The guest room looks lived in. Sirius left some books and posters there, along with some clothes. It’s definitely been his room since they were thirteen.

For some reason, a flash of hurt flickers through Sirius’ face. James has no idea what he said but he wants to punch himself in the face for it. This is simply not a good morning for him.

“Let’s go down to the kitchen,” he says finally. “I’m going to make tea.”

He’s pretty sure he can’t mess that up.

Sirius nods and James breathes a sigh of relief. He’s still too quiet and still too pale and his eyes look a little too dead but that’s okay. For now, he can work with that.

They’ll figure out the rest along the way.

Sirius passed out sometime around midnight. It’s a welcome relief. 

He came to James’ house a mess, sopping wet from the rain, carrying nothing but his wand and the clothes on his back. James hadn’t been able to get anything out of him apart from he’d gotten kicked out. James didn’t really have anything to say to that. Sirius had looked two points past a breakdown and stepping into another one. James hadn’t known what to do.

He made tea, in the end.

It helped, he thinks. Or he hopes. It took three hours just to get Sirius to stop shaking. The tea had gotten cold by that point but it was easy enough to reheat. James was pretty sure his parents wouldn’t have minded him using magic for it. Sirius sipped at it and he didn’t really look any better, but some color’s returned to his cheeks, so it’s not all bad.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, your comments give me life <3


End file.
